Why JCB thinks that hydrogen is the best alternative to diesel for heavy machinery.

[Stan]

[dan_b]

Because they're run by an idiot?

[spread-tee]

Because they're run by an idiot?

Is there a viable alternative in the nearish future though? Chris Goodall plumps for loads of wind and PV generating Hydrogen for storage and running hard to electrify applications as a good option, not least because it can use a lot of the existing infrastructure and not require a huge change in everyday lifestyle.

spear teed

[Mr Gus]

Not having read the piece (not fond of hydrogen when its energy intensive conversion compared to solar simplicity).

How do site vehicles (all those JCB's et al) at a housing estate get & stay fuelled, does this mean hydrogen bulk storage (presumably guarded based on value & the jitters) at all new estate builds?

[spread-tee]

Don't know really, BOC and Air Products are well used to transporting lots of cylinders of fuel gasses around though, maybe it could be something similar?

Speed

[Mr Gus]

So to make an allegedly green impact, the BOC delivery wagons would have to run on renewables too I guess or else it eats into the result & inflates cynicism regarding how green it actually is.

[spread-tee]

Sure why not burn some of the H2 in the delivery vehicles? After all that's why we are delivering the H2 in the first place. I guess there are always going to be some vehicles that are just too hard to electrify for one reason or another, if they could burn H2 it wouldn't be a bad option IMHO. Or perhaps if we could reduce the diesel consumption by say 90% the remaining 10% wouldn't be a problem.

Spear

[Mr Gus]

I'm envisioning dump truck style intermediary fuel delivery for refuelling the other plant equipment on large building sites during machinery downtime?

[dan_b]

Battery electric. It already exists, it's a known technology and requires no new infrastructure. Its round-trip efficiency is 3x orders of magnitude better than Hydrogen fuel cells, produces no tailpipe emissions and, if the plant owner wishes, they can generate their own fuel on-site.

Because they're run by an idiot?

Is there a viable alternative in the nearish future though? Chris Goodall plumps for loads of wind and PV generating Hydrogen for storage and running hard to electrify applications as a good option, not least because it can use a lot of the existing infrastructure and not require a huge change in everyday lifestyle.

spear teed

[Mr Gus]

Hmm, "perhaps" whilst building a new estate (for instance) they should install some fast charger bays for their EV construction vehicles which are then mothballed with the connections ready for a corporate buyer.

Muscling Hydrogen into the place of petrol & diesel with "only we can make it" so we dictate the supply & price simply carries on the political BS that's involved in the Oil industry / wars / politics / corruption / pollution... you get the idea.

#VoteSolar #VoteWindpower